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How do you define yourself when others have already decided who you are?

Six years ago, when Camden Daniels came back from war without his younger brother, no one in the small town of Alba, Colorado, would forgive him—especially his father. He left, swearing never to return.

But a desperate message from his father brings it all back. The betrayal. The pain. And the need to go home again.

But home is where the one person he still loves is waiting. Willow. The one woman he can never have. Because there are secrets buried in Alba that are best left in the dark.

If only he could tell his heart to stay locked away when she whispers she’s always loved him, and always will…

Great and Precious Things is a heart-wrenching story about family, betrayal, and ultimately how far we’re willing to go on behalf of those who need us most.

It didn’t take but a page or two of GREAT AND PRECIOUS THINGS by author Rebecca Yarros for me to know that this book was going to wreck me in the best possible way. Rebecca’s beautiful words, a world that I fell immediately into and became a part of, and a story that broke my heart and put it back together, make this a great book, and I was riveted, from beginning to end.

A decorated war hero back home in a town filled with people that have never understood him, Camden Daniels’s real strength is the lengths that he will go to for those that he loves, even when that love is not returned. Black sheep, town bad boy, the Daniels boy that will never measure up to either of his brothers, Cam knows what others, including his own father, think of him, but he’s ready to face his demons in order to help his family and the town that he loves. Cam had my heart from early on, and I absolutely adore him.

This book is, at its heart, a love story, but not just one of romantic love. Familial love, love of a place, and self-love are themes that Rebecca weaves throughout this beautiful book. Angst, anger, hatred, desire, love, reconciliation, heartbreak, all of these elements are here, and the story wouldn’t be the same without them. GREAT AND PRECIOUS THINGS is a book that will remain with me for a very long time, and have made me an immediate fan. My first 6-star read of this year, I cannot recommend it highly enough, and I look forward to my next great read from Rebecca. ❤️

Meet Rebecca Yarros

I’m a hopeless romantic and adore all things chocolate, coffee and paleo. No, seriously, I need to have a caffeine IV put in. I’ve adored reading all my life, and writing naturally evolved from my love of late nights and promises of one more page.

I’m also a military wife of sixteen years. During my husband’s deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, I was devouring a book a day, and during his third deployment, I finally wrote my own. With a somewhat ironic timing, I received my book deal for Full Measures during his fourth deployment, and published a month after he returned home. We’re currently preparing for his fifth deployment, so check out the blog for the latest!

On the homefront, we have six kids. Yes, you read that right—six. If I’m not writing or playing guitar, I’m usually tying hockey skates for our four boys, or sneaking in John Hughes marathons with my two daughters. We fostered and adopted our youngest daughter from the foster system and we’re passionate about helping others do the same through our non-profit, One October! We’re always busy navigating the winding road of our daughter’s recent autism diagnosis, getting our boys to hockey, prepping for a deployment, and generally trying to stay sane. We’re die-hard Mets fans, but our hearts call Colorado home.

Haunted by memories of a failed marriage, trauma surgeon Barbie Anderson escapes to her hometown for a fresh start. But the quaint community of Pumpkin Rest has memories and failures of its own that should stay buried.

When Barbie runs into ex-con biker Jake Chambers, he stirs up anger and resentment in her that she doesn’t want to face. He reminds her of the one man she’s never gotten over and dredges up decades-old heartache. With his rugged criminal exterior and gentlemanly demeanor, the silver fox may have the other women in Pumpkin Rest falling at his feet, but not Barbie.

She refuses to let her guard down and have her heart broken again. When a series of revelations come tumbling forth, Barbie is forced to confront her past and trust Pumpkin Rest’s most sought-after bachelor where she’ll soon learn that love wears many faces.

Will secrets from the past destroy their future or will old wounds finally heal, allowing her to love again?

Michel’s Review

2019 Favorite

Wow… Beth Flynn has once again delivered an outstanding novel which leaves her readers with soaring hearts and breathless. She delivers something more extraordinary than a passionate love story. She captures the complete human spirit in all of it’s beautiful imperfection. Her characters capture the imagination and remind the readers that’s it’s okay to be human.

Beth takes her readers back to Pumpkin Rest, South Carolina. The sleepy little town with only one intersection containing a gas station / grocery store and diner. Pumpkin Rest is a close knit community who have known each other all their lives. Dr. Barbie Anderson has returned to her childhood home to heal her from broken heart and rebuild her shattered life. She’s wise enough to return to the place where old friends are true friends and life is peaceful. She’s ready for a simple life. She’s ready to heal and move on to the next chapter in her life.

As it turns out, her return to Pumpkin Rest is anything but simple. It seems someone from her past has returned as well. A person who has been dead for years. The boy who shattered her heart when she was a young girl. Kenny Pritchard left thirty-nine years ago and never returned. He died in prison so how can he be riding past her house on his motorcycle? How can he be working at the Hampton House helping care for patients? Her mind and heart were playing tricks on her. How can Kenny be alive when she read his autopsy?

The truth is that this man is not Kenny, he is Jake Chambers. She refuses to let this man who looks like a criminal and the love of her life get close to her wounded soul. She is determined to understand why this man is trying to insert himself in Kenny’s old life. Why is he trying to befriend her when she clearly wants nothing to do with him? Her mind is telling her to stay far away and her heart is pushing her closer.

Life has a different destiny for both Jake and Barbie. It doesn’t matter if you are young and experiencing love for the first time or if you are past your prime and finding a love to spend the rest of your life with. Love is forgiving. Love is healing. Love is a miracle.

Pumpkin Rest is not the ordinary sleepy small town. It holds a multitude of secrets. Secrets that have destroyed lives for generations. Secrets that can still damage lives long after those who kept them are in their graves. Barbie and Jake have to choose how they deal with those secrets. Do they let the secrets tear them apart or do they let them bring them closer together?

WOW… Beth Flynn once again delivered the perfect story. There was the right amount of suspense, intrigue, and romance blended into this story which made it a page turner. I loved how she chose to feature seasoned, mature characters who have made their mistakes, made good and bad choices, and know what they want in life. I loved how she tied the Bear Family (past and present) into this story as well as the Nine Minute Trilogy. The connections were obscure but very familiar at the same time. It made me want to re-read all five books again. Not many authors do that to me. Every time I finish a Beth Flynn book I walk away feeling like I experienced every aspect of humanity. I feel like I witnessed a lifetime of friends and enemies finding the true meaning of love through forgiveness and acceptance. It’s very hard to put this concept into 375 pages when it takes a lifetime to achieve it.

Beth Flynn is a fiction writer who lives and works in Sapphire, North Carolina, deep within the southern Blue Ridge Mountains. Raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Beth and her husband, Jim, have spent the last 17 years in Sapphire, where they own a construction company. They have been married 31 years and have two daughters and two dogs. In her spare time, Beth enjoys writing, reading, gardening, church and motorcycles, especially taking rides on the back of her husband’s Harley. She is a five-year breast cancer survivor.

The Heartache Duet by Jay McLean is one of those stories which stands out among other the releases in the romance and YA genres. It is more than an angsty mature YA romance, it’s a story of family, friendship, and the beauty of the human spirit. It’s a story about dealing with heartache and circumstances beyond our control without losing hope. A story where basic human compassion goes much further than grand gestures. A story that shows the magic in the little moments is just as important as the monumental steps that change our lives. After all … the magic appears when the world seems the darkest but it also appears when it’s least expected.

First and Forever by Jay McLean is the highly emotional, explosive conclusion in the Heartache and Hope Duet.

Heartache and Hope ended on a huge cliffhanger. Ava and Connor had broken up. Connor was conquering the basketball court and chasing his dream. He has became an All American Allstar athlete, gotten a full ride scholarship to Duke, and has scouts knocking on his doors. He’s pushed himself beyond his limits, not for himself but for Ava. He wants to be able to give her the help her family desperately needs. He wants to be able to provide a future for both of them. But first he needs to win Ava back and show her she isn’t alone.

Ava was trying to hold onto what was left of her family life. The responsibility of caring for her mother has become more difficult. Her mother’s mental health is affecting her physical health. The health care options have became more limited in an already sparse situation. Her step- brother Trevor has sacrificed his future to help hang onto their family. Things are spiraling downhill fast. They have exhausted every avenue available. Their situation is dire and her mother is disappearing into oblivion.

Ava and Connor have a love that’s worth fighting for. They have both suffered. They have both learned a little bit of magic in the darkest moments goes a long way. But is it enough to keep them together? Just when they think they have it figured out, Ava’s mom takes a turn for the worst and her world begins to fall apart. She’s afraid she will take Connor down with her. At the same time, Connor’s nightmares and past have resurfaced. rather than leaning on Ava or his family for support, he tries to handle the situation by himself.

They are both getting torn apart emotionally and don’t know how to cope with it. Their lives have spiraled out of control once again. This time they can’t fix it. Graduation is around the corner and Ava’s life has hit the dead end.

Can they find their way back to each other? Their family lives and secrets will never go away. They just need to learn how to manage their lives with what they have. They have to learn that love is what keeps hope alive.

Wow… the Heartache Duet by Jay McLean is one of the best stories I have read in quite awhile. Not only does Jay deliver an emotional, heart wrenching romance but she also focuses on important issues and how they affect people’s lives. She brought attention to ongoing problems in healthcare for seriously wounded VETs, the lack of support from the community, the limited long term medical benefits, and the inadequate care for mental health issues. She also showed how child abuse can scar a person for life even though they have had a stable home, supportive family love, and the right kind of counseling. She also showed how people make sacrifices for their families. Trevor and Connor’s father both put their families first over their own personal happiness. They were true heroes in my opinion. Not only did Jay show the emotional effects it had on the family but also their friends. The Heartache and Hope Duet displayed every kind of love a human being can experience and that is where the true MAGIC is.

I highly recommend The Heartache and Hope Duet.

_____________________________________

About the Author:

Jay McLean is an international best-selling author and full-time reader, writer of New

Adult and Young Adult romance, and skilled procrastinator. When she’s not doing

any of those things, she can be found running after her three little boys, investing

way too much time on True Crime Documentaries and binge-watching reality TV.

She writes what she loves to read, which are books that can make her laugh, make

her hurt and make her feel.

Jay lives in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, in her dream home where music is

loud and laughter is louder.

For publishing rights (Foreign &amp; Domestic) Film or television, please contact her

Just like she doesn’t know a thing about the boy she sits next to on the first day of senior year.

He thinks she’s a brat.

She thinks he’s entitled.

Maybe first impressions don’t always last…

Because Connor Ledger’s about to save her.

He just doesn’t know why.

________________________________

Excerpt:

They look like fireflies. The way the water falls from the sky, illuminated only by the streetlamps.

I stand in the middle of the road, barefoot and barely breathing, my arms out, face to the sky.

I don’t know how I got here.

When I climbed out of my window, the sun was just setting and now… now I’m surrounded by

dark skies and false hope.

I know I should go home.

That I should face my fears and tackle them head-on.

My mind travels the right roads at the right time to get me there, but my heart…

My heart takes me to Connor.

Outside his bedroom window, mud seeps between my toes, and the frigid air creates

goosebumps along my skin. I raise my fist and tap, tap, tap on the glass.

A moment later, a light turns on. And then nothing. I tap again, my heart racing.

The blind lifts and Connor appears, his eyes squinting. It’s clear he’d been asleep, or close to it.

Hair a mess, he’s shirtless, the obvious beginnings of bruises mar parts of his torso, and I look down,

shame filling every part of me. I bite down on my lip as he slides the window up. “Jesus Christ, Ava.

What the hell are you doing?”

His warm palms meet my soaking wet elbows, and then his entire body is cocooning mine,

lifting me off my feet and into his bedroom. My feet land on his soft carpet, and I look down at the mess I’ve made.

“I’m dirty,” I tell him.

Inside and out.

Dirty, dazed and damaged.

________________________________

Michel’s Review

*** 2019 Favorite ***

It’s been a good long while since Jay McLean released a new book and her readers missed her. She’s back with an emotional mature YA novel that will leave the reader hungover and desperately wanting more. Heartache and Hope by Jay McLean takes the reader on an emotional journey that has them sobbing one moment and feeling pure joy the next. Two young people dealing with life the only way they know how. Appearances aren’t always what they seem. What lies beneath the surface is what matters the most.

*

Connor Ledger is the new superstar basketball player that just transferred to St. Lukes Academy on an athletic scholarship. His family moved so he would have a better opportunity of securing a basketball scholarship to a good college. A college that will help him get into the NBA. His family is not exactly poor but they are financially strained. His single father has raised him and spent every extra penny on improving his natural gift in basketball. Not only does he have to perform well on the basketball court but also has to make good grades to build up his GPA. His father has high expectations and expects him to make it to the “end game”.

*

Ava Diaz is the mysterious gorgeous girl that everyone avoids. She seems to have warning signs written all over her. And she does for very valid reasons. She doesn’t have the time or energy for high school social life. She doesn’t have time for friends much less a boyfriend. When the new boy in school tries to befriend her it’s very hard to resist until she can’t. It’s hard to keep the preverbial private door closed when it’s so lonely living behind those doors. Everyone needs someone outside their preverbial private door to make their world bearable. Someone to give them hope.

*

It appears Connor Ledger has the world in his hands but underneath it all he’s a scarred soul.

*

It appears Ava Diaz is a scarred soul who hates the world when in reality she’s just a teenage girl that needs to be a teenager rather than a prisoner in her life.

*

Connor’s father and his basketball commitments come first. His head is telling him one thing but his heart is screaming for something else.

*

Ava’s world behind closed doors is falling apart and she’s trying to hang onto what little bit is left. It’s taking all the broken pieces of her heart and shattering them into tiny bits that can never be repaired.

*

“When the world is at its darkest, thats when magic appears.” Connor and Ava desperately need a little magic in their lives.

*

Magic doesn’t always appear where we expect it but it does appear when Jay McLean picks up pen and starts writing. She is a gifted storyteller with compelling characters that touch the deepest part of the soul. She challenges her readers with thought provoking situations and emotional dilemmas. She takes ordinary people and makes them larger in life by testing their souls and allowing them to grow. Her writing is pure MAGIC and keeps the readers under her spell !

*

Jay McLean created two unforgettable characters that need hope in their world. I loved the supportive secondary characters just as much. Ava’s stepbrother Trevor is such an honorable guy and made sacrifices most young men would not make. I would love to see Jay create a story for him after the Heartache Duet is finished because Ava and Connor are not the only people who had their hope stifled.

*

I loved every magical moment reading Heartache and Hope by Jay McLean. I can’t wait for the second book, First and Forever, to release on July 12, 2019!

“Jewel E. Ann has once again crafted a flawless story that is utterly unique and unforgettable. Hands down my favorite book of 2019!”

— Aly Martinez, USA Today bestselling author

A hit-and-run accident leaves Jersey Six orphaned and homeless on the streets of Newark, shattering her dreams of school dances, pink nail polish, and a diploma.

Eight years later, a burn victim with amnesia wanders into Jersey’s barely-existent life. She resists his efforts to form a friendship until he reveals knowledge of the person responsible for derailing her future. Through their unusual friendship, she discovers a way to avenge the deaths of her foster parents.

All she has to do is destroy the world’s biggest rock star.

In the ultimate game of sex, lies, and manipulation, can Jersey discover the truth? Or will she be blinded by attraction, deceived by love, and destroyed by her past?

Excerpt:

“We ate at the hotel.” Her lips twisted to the side. “Mind if I stick some stuff in my bag for later?”

A tiny wrinkle formed between Ian’s eyes, just below the long sweep of his black bangs. “There will be lots of food available later too. But…” he shrugged, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees “…take whatever you want.”

Jersey glanced over her shoulder at the food and the three other men in the room. She decided to wait a little while before shoving as much as possible into her bag like a free-for-all. “Thanks.” Jersey returned her attention to Ian. “So … you’re a singer. Like … are you a big deal?”

Every word she spoke seemed to feed his level of happiness. “Well …” He rubbed his chin, twisting his lips. “We play music. People like to listen to our music. But no … it’s not a big deal. We’re not saving lives or anything like that.”

She eyed him with suspicion for a few seconds. That smile of his didn’t feel worthy of complete trust. “Um … what exactly do you need me to do? What’s my job? They already took Chris. Will that big, bearded guy come for me too?” Jersey couldn’t remember his name.

“No.” Ian stood, pushing his elbows out from his shoulders, twisting side to side. “Tonight you are just going to watch the concert from backstage. Tomorrow night you’ll sell merchandise.”

“Fans.” Ian grinned. “Okay. I might have understated all of this to you … can you name a famous singer? Old or new. Doesn’t matter. Just a famous singer.”

“I had a foster parent who used to listen to Josh Groban.” Jersey gnashed her teeth, still feeling so much anger. Dena wasn’t just a foster parent; she was Jersey’s friend.

“Okay. Well, Josh has sold millions of records, and he’s a huge star in his genre of music. Thousands of people pack venues all over the world to see him sing live in concert. And they sell merchandise of his at those concerts.”

Jersey gazed unblinkingly at Ian as he scratched his jaw.

“Well, I sing a different genre of music, but I, too, travel the world, singing to sold-out concert venues, andI have people who sell my merchandise at these concerts.”

Jersey dropped her bag to her feet and planted her fists on her hips. “Listen, Coop. Stop talking down to me. I’m not an idiot. I know what a concert is. But earlier today you didn’t say what you did or what the job was you were offering. You bought a homeless person a hot dog and offered her a job. Of course, I’m going to think something sketchy might be involved.”

Tipping her chin up, she held her breath to puff out her chest, pretending the recent revelation of Ian Cooper being a famous singer didn’t faze her one bit. Inside, Jersey’s heart hammered into her ribcage, and her mind reeled trying to figure out the day’s events.

“Coop?” His lips twitched into a tiny grin.

“It’s short for Cooper.”

“Clearly.” Ian chuckled. “But my name is Ian. Everyone calls me Ian.”

“I busted the nose and jaw of a kid named Ian. He tried to stick his cock in my ass. I’ll call you Tom, Dick, or Harry, but I’m not calling you Ian because that makes me want to physically harm you.”

Ian’s eyebrows shot up his forehead as his head whipped back a few inches. “Coop it is.”

Michel’s Review

2019 Favorite

Wow!! What an incredible book! Jewel E. Ann has outdone herself and created an unforgettable, impressive story with unique characters that takeover your heart. Like most of her novels, she blends several tropes/ genres into a compelling novel that readers can’t put down. Every time I finish one of her novels I instantly say that was her best novel to date and that is an honest truth. What amazes me is that Jewel E. Ann keeps digging deeper and finding something new for her readers to consume. It’s no wonder that she is one of my all time favorite authors.

Jersey Six is unlike any novel. This story begins with a homeless woman, a badly scarred man, and a beautiful charismatic rock star. The one thing these three have in common is Marley’s Gym, a run down refuge for derelicts, criminals, and street rats. All three of these people have some kind of past connection to the old New Jersey neighborhood where Marley’s is located. Marley’s is being forced to close down in order for the city to redevelop and beautify the area. It is going to leave two of these people completely on the streets. A chance meeting at a hotdog stand leads to new beginnings, a new path in life for all three characters.

Jersey Six was abandoned as a child at the local fire station. She has spent her life in the foster care system. For fourteen years she spent her life moving from one home to another constantly enduring physical and sexual abuse. She finally landed in a good home with a family that wanted to adopt her, nuture her, and help her become a whole human being. For six months she belonged to a family until they were killed in a hit and run accident. Rather than going back into the system, she ran. For the last ten years she has done whatever it takes to survive. She has learned to rely on her wits, her knife skills, and ability to fight.

Chris Ten is a burn victim who has complete amnesia and severe PTSD. He has spent months in the hospital alone and abandoned. He doesn’t know where to go once he is released from the hospital. He ends up on the streets and ends up at Marley’s Gym, a place that seems familiar. Marley’s triggers a few memories. Meeting Jersey also triggers some memories. While his life is still a puzzle, he finally has someone in his corner. He has formed a close friendship with Jersey Six. They are family.

While Jersey is scraping together change for a hotdog leads to a chance meeting with the famous rock star Ian Cooper. A cute-meet leads to a job offer and opportunity of a lifetime. This chance meeting changes all of their lives in very different ways. Jersey won’t leave Chris behind.
A rag to riches story with severe PTSD and hidden truths, all three of these characters take a journey down memory lane and jump into the promise of adventure in the future but first they must accept the miracles and gifts of their present day reality.

I was so blown away by this book. The twists, turns, and raw emotions had me reeling. The choice of words and passages gave me absolute goosies! Every word clearly gave these characters the definition of what pure love really is.

Get ready to have your world rocked and soul consumed. Jersey Six has it all… romance, love, glamour, murder, arson, deception, revenge, lies, and broken souls.

With 10 years of flossing lectures under her belt, she took early retirement from her dental hygiene career to stay home with her three awesome boys and manage the family business.

After her best friend of nearly 30 years suggested a few books from the Contemporary Romance genre, Jewel was hooked. Devouring two and three books a week but still craving more, she decided to practice sustainable reading, AKA writing.

When she’s not donning her cape and saving the planet one tree at a time, she enjoys yoga with friends, good food with family, rock climbing with her kids, watching How I Met Your Mother reruns, and of course…heart-wrenching, tear-jerking, panty-scorching novels.

“Jewel E. Ann has once again crafted a flawless story that is utterly unique and unforgettable. Hands down my favorite book of 2019!”

— Aly Martinez, USA Today bestselling author

A hit-and-run accident leaves Jersey Six orphaned and homeless on the streets of Newark, shattering her dreams of school dances, pink nail polish, and a diploma.

Eight years later, a burn victim with amnesia wanders into Jersey’s barely-existent life. She resists his efforts to form a friendship until he reveals knowledge of the person responsible for derailing her future. Through their unusual friendship, she discovers a way to avenge the deaths of her foster parents.

All she has to do is destroy the world’s biggest rock star.

In the ultimate game of sex, lies, and manipulation, can Jersey discover the truth? Or will she be blinded by attraction, deceived by love, and destroyed by her past?

Wow!! What an incredible book! Jewel E. Ann has outdone herself and created an unforgettable, impressive story with unique characters that takeover your heart. Like most of her novels, she blends several tropes/ genres into a compelling novel that readers can’t put down. Every time I finish one of her novels I instantly say that was her best novel to date and that is an honest truth. What amazes me is that Jewel E. Ann keeps digging deeper and finding something new for her readers to consume. It’s no wonder that she is one of my all time favorite authors.

Jersey Six is unlike any novel. This story begins with a homeless woman, a badly scarred man, and a beautiful charismatic rock star. The one thing these three have in common is Marley’s Gym, a run down refuge for derelicts, criminals, and street rats. All three of these people have some kind of past connection to the old New Jersey neighborhood where Marley’s is located. Marley’s is being forced to close down in order for the city to redevelop and beautify the area. It is going to leave two of these people completely on the streets. A chance meeting at a hotdog stand leads to new beginnings, a new path in life for all three characters.

Jersey Six was abandoned as a child at the local fire station. She has spent her life in the foster care system. For fourteen years she spent her life moving from one home to another constantly enduring physical and sexual abuse. She finally landed in a good home with a family that wanted to adopt her, nuture her, and help her become a whole human being. For six months she belonged to a family until they were killed in a hit and run accident. Rather than going back into the system, she ran. For the last ten years she has done whatever it takes to survive. She has learned to rely on her wits, her knife skills, and ability to fight.

Chris Ten is a burn victim who has complete amnesia and severe PTSD. He has spent months in the hospital alone and abandoned. He doesn’t know where to go once he is released from the hospital. He ends up on the streets and ends up at Marley’s Gym, a place that seems familiar. Marley’s triggers a few memories. Meeting Jersey also triggers some memories. While his life is still a puzzle, he finally has someone in his corner. He has formed a close friendship with Jersey Six. They are family.

While Jersey is scraping together change for a hotdog leads to a chance meeting with the famous rock star Ian Cooper. A cute-meet leads to a job offer and opportunity of a lifetime. This chance meeting changes all of their lives in very different ways. Jersey won’t leave Chris behind.
A rag to riches story with severe PTSD and hidden truths, all three of these characters take a journey down memory lane and jump into the promise of adventure in the future but first they must accept the miracles and gifts of their present day reality.

I was so blown away by this book. The twists, turns, and raw emotions had me reeling. The choice of words and passages gave me absolute goosies! Every word clearly gave these characters the definition of what pure love really is.

Get ready to have your world rocked and soul consumed. Jersey Six has it all… romance, love, glamour, murder, arson, deception, revenge, lies, and broken souls.

Enter Jewel’s giveaway for a signed paperback and swag!

With 10 years of flossing lectures under her belt, she took early retirement from her dental hygiene career to stay home with her three awesome boys and manage the family business.

After her best friend of nearly 30 years suggested a few books from the Contemporary Romance genre, Jewel was hooked. Devouring two and three books a week but still craving more, she decided to practice sustainable reading, AKA writing.

When she’s not donning her cape and saving the planet one tree at a time, she enjoys yoga with friends, good food with family, rock climbing with her kids, watching How I Met Your Mother reruns, and of course…heart-wrenching, tear-jerking, panty-scorching novels.

From the bestselling author of Just Remember to Breathe and The Last Hour, a shocking and poignant story of a family on the brink of destruction and the transformational events that could bring them back together—or tear them apart.

Every day, Cole Roberts reminds himself that life wasn’t always this bleak. He was once passionately in love with Erin. Sam used to be an artistic and lively kid. They hadn’t always lived in a shabby two-room house in rural Alabama, where he runs a mediocre restaurant in the middle of nowhere.

That was before Brenna disappeared. It was before Cole lost his job and they lost their home.
Every day it gets worse. Erin drinks wine out of the bottle and spends her days with a tormented expression, searching the web for signs of their daughter. Sam hides in his room and rarely speaks. And Cole works himself to a stupor for a paycheck a fraction of the size of his old salary.

Until one day a phone call changes everything.

Winter Flower is at once a tragic tale of the disappearance of a child; struggling with gender identity; of the dark world of sex-trafficking and the transformation and healing of a family. Sheehan-Miles’s longest novel delves into the depths of family life—and how, sometimes, we can heal and find restoration.

___________________________________________

Michel’s Review

*** 6 Stars ***

*** 2019 Favorite ***

I was so excited when I saw that Charles Sheehan-Miles had a new book coming out.

Charles Sheehan-Miles is one of the best authors I have read. He has an incredible gift of creating characters who the readers immediately embrace as their own. His stories revolve around the family unit with all of the beautiful imperfections and emotional dysfunctions. He captures the reader’s attention with his astute choice of words and vivid descriptions. The reader becomes more than a mere witness to story unraveling, they become an emotional participant.

The story of the Robert’s family is more than losing a child. It’s a journey down the darkest paths while realizing the light isn’t necessarily at the end. The light comes from depending on each other and accepting the things they cannot change. The only thing that matters is their love for one another. It may not fix what’s been broken but it will soothe and strengthen their shattered souls. It will give them courage to move forward one step at a time.

Winter Flower follows each member of the family, switching from past to present. Each member of the family has a different perspective of the past and different way of coping in the present. It all began with the disappearance of their daughter, Brenna. Brenna disappeared on her sixteenth birthday. What should have been a special birthday turned into a horrific nightmare which would destroy their lives. What they didn’t realize was their lives were already on the path of destruction. Brenna’s disappearance was the final blow that tore their world apart. Two years later they are on a very different path trying to survive and rebuild their shattered lives. The only thing they are hanging onto is their tiny thread of hope.

It all begins in a small backward rural town in Alabama. Cole Roberts is working at a Waffle House. He’s struggling to pay the bills and take care of his family after the loss of his daughter. He not only lost his daughter but also his home, his career and six figure salary. His wife has moved from resentment to pure indifference to him. She has chosen the wine bottle to silence her grief. His son Sam has become withdrawn and spends too much time locked away in his room playing computer games. He has become an awkward social recluse and a target for the bullies in his new school. In a sense he has also become a missing child even though he’s physically present. Brenna has been missing for two years and the FBI has moved it to the cold case stack. The only thing they have left is their hope.

Then one day the phone rings with a new lead that finally changes their paths once again. The biggest difference this time is they are walking into the darkness with their eyes wide open. At least they are together with the knowledge they may never find the light. They just need to hang onto each other along the way.

Charles Sheehan-Miles was brutally honest and delivered the harsh realities of this story’s life situations and circumstances. He didn’t sugar coat the ugliness, he made the reader truly feel it. At the same time he instilled hope and clearly illuminated the goodness dwelling below the surface. Although this story had a horrific situation it also had a beautiful message. The resilience of the human soul with the capacity to love, accept, and forgive is what hope truly is.

Winter Flower was more than a novel to be witnessed by the reader. Winter Flower demands the reader become an emotional participant from beginning to end. Long after the last word is read and the book is closed, the reading experience will live on in the heart of the reader.

I highly recommend reading Winter Flower by Charles Sheehan-Miles.

****

***ARC generously provided by Author/Publisher for an honest review.***

Charles Miles has been a soldier, computer programmer, short-order cook and non-profit executive, and is the author of more than a dozen fiction and non-fiction books, including the indie bestsellers Just Remember to Breathe and Republic: A Novel of America’s Future. He is a member of The Authors Guild and the Association of Independent Authors.

Charles and his wife Andrea live and write together in South Hadley, Massachusetts. He can be reached by email at Charles [@] sheehanmiles.net

I write about things I’m passionate about: love, romance, war; addiction, remorse, guilt. I write about the things that terrify me and give me joy. I write about life.

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